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Energization-Dependent Endogenous Activation Of Proton Conductance In Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria., Nadeene Parker, Charles Affourtit, Antonio Vidal-Puig, Martin D. Brand May 2008

Energization-Dependent Endogenous Activation Of Proton Conductance In Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria., Nadeene Parker, Charles Affourtit, Antonio Vidal-Puig, Martin D. Brand

School of Biomedical Sciences

Leak of protons into the mitochondrial matrix during substrate oxidation partially uncouples electron transport from phosphorylation of ADP, but the functions and source of basal and inducible proton leak in vivo remain controversial. In the present study we describe an endogenous activation of proton conductance in mitochondria isolated from rat and mouse skeletal muscle following addition of respiratory substrate. This endogenous activation increased with time, required a high membrane potential and was diminished by high concentrations of serum albumin. Inhibition of this endogenous activation by GDP [classically considered specific for UCPs (uncoupling proteins)], carboxyatractylate and bongkrekate (considered specific for the …

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Affection, Virtue, Pleasure, And Profit: Developing An Understanding Of Friendship Closeness And Intimacy In Western And Asian Societies, M Gummerum, M Keller May 2008

Affection, Virtue, Pleasure, And Profit: Developing An Understanding Of Friendship Closeness And Intimacy In Western And Asian Societies, M Gummerum, M Keller

School of Psychology

The development of friendship understanding has rarely been explored from a cross-cultural perspective. In this study, children and adolescents from Iceland, China, Russia, and the former East Germany were investigated in one longitudinal and three cross-sectional samples. Children from three different Chinese ecologies were interviewed to account for within-culture variation. Participants were interviewed about friendship closeness and intimacy at ages 7, 9, 12, and 15 years. Their statements were scored according to (a) structural—developmental stages and (b) content aspects of friendship reasoning. Results reveal that the development of friendship reasoning of participants from all societies could be captured by the …

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Surveillance Of Cirrhosis For Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Cost-Utility Analysis., Coon J Thompson, G. Rogers, P. Hewson, D. Wright, R. Anderson, S. Jackson, S. Ryder, M. Cramp, K. Stein Apr 2008

Surveillance Of Cirrhosis For Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Cost-Utility Analysis., Coon J Thompson, G. Rogers, P. Hewson, D. Wright, R. Anderson, S. Jackson, S. Ryder, M. Cramp, K. Stein

Peninsula Medical School

Using a decision-analytic model, we evaluated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in individuals with cirrhosis. Separate cohorts with cirrhosis due to alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis B and hepatitis C were simulated. Results were also combined to approximate a mixed aetiology population. Comparisons were made between a variety of surveillance algorithms using alpha-foetoprotein (AFP) assay and/or ultrasound at 6- and 12-monthly intervals. Parameter estimates were obtained from comprehensive literature reviews. Uncertainty was explored using one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. In the mixed aetiology cohort, 6-monthly AFP+ultrasound was predicted to be the most effective strategy. The model …

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Collective Memory And Blood Feud: The Case Of Mountainous Crete, Aris Tsantiropoulos Apr 2008

Collective Memory And Blood Feud: The Case Of Mountainous Crete, Aris Tsantiropoulos

SOLON Law, Crime and History (previously SOLON Crimes and Misdemeanours: Deviance and the Law in Historical Perspective)

Drawing upon ethnographic data from mountainous central Crete, a feuding society up to the present moment, this article will focus on cases of retaliatory crimes where men avenge a relative who was killed before they were born. In these cases, what is interesting is that there do not seem to be any factors in the present to fuel the fire of a past animosity between the two kinship groups. Instead, these men seek revenge looking either for the murderer himself or for one of his male relatives in the places where they were forced to emigrate after the commitment of …

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Australia And The War Against Terrorism: Terrorism, National Security And Human Rights, Mark Rix Apr 2008

Australia And The War Against Terrorism: Terrorism, National Security And Human Rights, Mark Rix

SOLON Law, Crime and History (previously SOLON Crimes and Misdemeanours: Deviance and the Law in Historical Perspective)

This article considers whether in the 'war against terrorism' national security is eroded or strengthened by weakening or removing the human rights of the individuals who constitute the polity. It starts with the view that national security is, at its most fundamental, founded upon the security and liberty of the person from criminal and violent acts, including terrorist attacks. Such attacks, and the individuals and groups who perpetrate them, constitute a grave threat to the peace and security of nations the world over and thus endanger the security and liberty of the individuals who make up their populations. Governments are …

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The Regulation Of Sirt2 Function By Cyclin-Dependent Kinases Affects Cell Motility, R Pandithage, R Lilischkis, K Harting, A Wolf, Et Al Mar 2008

The Regulation Of Sirt2 Function By Cyclin-Dependent Kinases Affects Cell Motility, R Pandithage, R Lilischkis, K Harting, A Wolf, Et Al

School of Biomedical Sciences

Cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) fulfill key functions in many cellular processes, including cell cycle progression and cytoskeletal dynamics. A limited number of Cdk substrates have been identified with few demonstrated to be regulated by Cdk-dependent phosphorylation. We identify on protein expression arrays novel cyclin E–Cdk2 substrates, including SIRT2, a member of the Sirtuin family of NAD+-dependent deacetylases that targets a-tubulin. We define Ser-331 as the site phosphorylated by cyclin E–Cdk2, cyclin A–Cdk2, and p35–Cdk5 both in vitro and in cells. Importantly, phosphorylation at Ser-331 inhibits the catalytic activity of SIRT2. Gain- and loss-of-function studies demonstrate that SIRT2 interfered with cell adhesion …

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Regulation Of Multiple Angiogenic Pathways By Dll4 And Notch In Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells, Ls Harrington, Rca Sainson, Ck Williams, Jm Taylor, Et Al Mar 2008

Regulation Of Multiple Angiogenic Pathways By Dll4 And Notch In Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells, Ls Harrington, Rca Sainson, Ck Williams, Jm Taylor, Et Al

School of Biomedical Sciences

The Notch ligand, Dll4, is essential for angiogenesis during embryonic vascular development and is involved in tumour angiogenesis. Several recent publications demonstrated that blockade of Dll4 signalling inhibits tumour growth, suggesting that it may constitute a good candidate for anti-cancer therapy. In order to understand the role of Dll4 at the cellular level, we performed an analysis of Dll4-regulated genes in HUVECs. The genes identified included several angiogenic signalling pathways, such as VEGF, FGF and HGF. In particular we identified downregulation (VEGFR2, placenta growth factor PlGF) of VEGF pathway components resulting in the overall effect of limiting the response of …

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Genetic, Ecological, Behavioral And Geographic Differentiation Of Populations In A Thistle Weevil: Implications For Speciation And Biocontrol, I Olivieri, Mc Singer, S Magalhães, A Courtiol, Et Al Feb 2008

Genetic, Ecological, Behavioral And Geographic Differentiation Of Populations In A Thistle Weevil: Implications For Speciation And Biocontrol, I Olivieri, Mc Singer, S Magalhães, A Courtiol, Et Al

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Because weevils are used as biocontrol agents against thistles, it is important to document and understand host shifts and the evolution of host-specificity in these insects. Furthermore, such host shifts are of fundamental interest to mechanisms of speciation. The mediterranean weevil Larinus cynarae normally parasitizes either one of two thistle genera, Onopordum and Cynara, being locally monophagous. In Sardinia, however, both host genera are used. We used three types of data to help understand this complex host use: (i) weevil attack rates on the two host genera among 53 different populations in Sardinia and nearby Corsica, (ii) host preference in …

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Response To Hefce’S Consultation On The Assessment And Funding Of Higher Education Research Post-2008, A Smith, A Dell, D Edwards, J Hall-Spencer, A Hopper, R Jones, C Lazzeroni, J Skinner, P Wadler Feb 2008

Response To Hefce’S Consultation On The Assessment And Funding Of Higher Education Research Post-2008, A Smith, A Dell, D Edwards, J Hall-Spencer, A Hopper, R Jones, C Lazzeroni, J Skinner, P Wadler

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

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A Neuroanatomically Grounded Hebbian-Learning Model Of Attention-Language Interactions In The Human Brain., Max Garagnani, Thomas Wennekers, Friedemann Pulvermüller Jan 2008

A Neuroanatomically Grounded Hebbian-Learning Model Of Attention-Language Interactions In The Human Brain., Max Garagnani, Thomas Wennekers, Friedemann Pulvermüller

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Meaningful familiar stimuli and senseless unknown materials lead to different patterns of brain activation. A late major neurophysiological response indexing 'sense' is the negative component of event-related potential peaking at around 400 ms (N400), an event-related potential that emerges in attention-demanding tasks and is larger for senseless materials (e.g. meaningless pseudowords) than for matched meaningful stimuli (words). However, the mismatch negativity (latency 100-250 ms), an early automatic brain response elicited under distraction, is larger to words than to pseudowords, thus exhibiting the opposite pattern to that seen for the N400. So far, no theoretical account has been able to reconcile …

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Artefacts, Technicity And Humanisation Industrial Design And The Problem Of Anoetic Technologies, Stephen James Thompson Jan 2008

Artefacts, Technicity And Humanisation Industrial Design And The Problem Of Anoetic Technologies, Stephen James Thompson

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

This thesis concerns the intellectual heritage and autonomy of West European and American industrial design as a discourse community at a moment when biotechnological developments are challenging the certainty of what it means to be human. Proceeding from the assumption that industrial design is an autonomous intellectual engagement played out through the interpretation of technology as an artefact, the thesis identifies how this is a critical moment for industrial designers, who appear to be unable to respond to a problem of the apparent disconnection and the progressive displacement of the human in reference to technology. The thesis identifies the cause …

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The Interactive Toxicity Of Benzo(A)Pyrene And Ultraviolet Radiation - An In Vitro Investigation, Zoe Jean Lyle Jan 2008

The Interactive Toxicity Of Benzo(A)Pyrene And Ultraviolet Radiation - An In Vitro Investigation, Zoe Jean Lyle

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The work presented here adopted an in vitro approach with cell types from different species (fish: Epithelioma Papillosum Cyprini (EPCA1), Rainbow Trout Gonad (RTG-2); mammals: Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO-K01), primary human fibroblast cells (84BR)) to elucidate the potential genotoxic effects of the interaction of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) (0.0, 0.1, 1.0 and 3.2 µg mlˉ¹) with ultraviolet radiation (UVA/UVB) (typically 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000 J mˉ²). Initially the experimental techniques and conditions were optimised and validated in the CHO-K1, EPCA1 and RTG-2 cell lines. It was shown that mammalian (CHO-Kl) and …

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The Conservation Biology Of Berberis Holstii Engl. In Nyika National Park, Malawi, Cecilia Promise Maliwichi Nyirenda Jan 2008

The Conservation Biology Of Berberis Holstii Engl. In Nyika National Park, Malawi, Cecilia Promise Maliwichi Nyirenda

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Biological resources are particularly important in resource-limited countries where utilisation demands challenge conservation efforts. The study focussed on Berberis holstii, a plant resource on high demand in northern Malawi restricted to Nyika National Park. The uses, distribution, habitat characteristics, demography and seed germination requirements of this important species were investigated. Uses were investigated by means of ethnobotanical interviews. The species distribution in the park was mapped employing GIS. Habitats were characterised employing multivariate methods implemented in the programmes PC-ORD and PRIMER. Demographic studies employed matrix projections to characterise representative populations. Finally, laboratory germination trials allowed determination of light, cold stratification …

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Biological And Photo-Physiological Interactions Between Phytoplankton Functional Types; A Five Year Study In The Western English Channel, James Richard Fishwick Jan 2008

Biological And Photo-Physiological Interactions Between Phytoplankton Functional Types; A Five Year Study In The Western English Channel, James Richard Fishwick

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Sampling at the western English Channel observatory dates back approximately 100 years, with a more complete sampling programme since 1988. The data set in this study was collected over a five year period between 2001 and 2005. The variables measured allow for a more complete understanding of the ecosystem, this is the only study to have reported the photo-physiology measurements over such time scales. The western English Channel is situated in a boundary zone between the oceanic waters of the Northern Atlantic and the coastal waters of the English Channel. This study has provided substantial evidence that the phytoplankton functional …

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The Role Of Stress And Dietary Micronutrients In Fish Health, James Frederick Reeves Jan 2008

The Role Of Stress And Dietary Micronutrients In Fish Health, James Frederick Reeves

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The overall theme of this thesis has been the study of the effects of well known and potentially novel stressors on fish health and how some of these may be modulated by dietary supplements of micronutrients, using both in vitro and in vivo analysis. In vitro experiments with cultured fish cells (EPC-A1, GFSk-S1) evaluated the potential of niacin and selenium to reduce cytotoxicity and genomic instability (DNA damage) induced by ultraviolet radiation exposure, following assay validation with reference toxins. Whilst cytotoxicity was determined by the neutral red retention (NRR) assay, genomic stability was evaluated by either a standard or modified …

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Phytoplankton As Indicators For Eutrophication In Europe's Regional Seas, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop Jan 2008

Phytoplankton As Indicators For Eutrophication In Europe's Regional Seas, Abigail Mcquatters-Gollop

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Eutrophication of marine and coastal waters is a growing concern throughout Europe's regional seas and an historical problem in the Black Sea and regions of the North-East Atlantic, particularly the North Sea. As the base of the marine pelagic food web, phytoplankton are sensitive indicators of environmental change and therefore may be used as indicators of eutrophication for the monitoring, management and mitigation of the effects of nutrient loading on coastal and marine ecosystems. However, due to the interactive effects of climate and eutrophication, it can be difficult to separate the climate-driven response of phytoplankton from changes induced by excess …

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Meeting Report: Risk Assessment Of Tamiflu Use Under Pandemic Conditions, Ac Singer, Bm Howard, Ac Johnson, Cj Knowles, S Jackman, C Accinelli, Ab Caracciolo, I Bernard, S Bird, T Boucard, A Boxall, Jv Brian, E Cartmell, C Chubb, J Churchley, S Costigan, M Crane, Mj Dempsey, B Dorrington, B Ellor, J Fick, J Holmes, T Hutchinson, F Karcher, Sl Kelleher, P Marsden, G Noone, Ma Nunn, J Oxford, T Rachwal, N Roberts, M Roberts, Ml Saccà, M Sanders, Jo Straub, A Terry, D Thomas, S Toovey, R Townsend, N Voulvoulis, C Watts Jan 2008

Meeting Report: Risk Assessment Of Tamiflu Use Under Pandemic Conditions, Ac Singer, Bm Howard, Ac Johnson, Cj Knowles, S Jackman, C Accinelli, Ab Caracciolo, I Bernard, S Bird, T Boucard, A Boxall, Jv Brian, E Cartmell, C Chubb, J Churchley, S Costigan, M Crane, Mj Dempsey, B Dorrington, B Ellor, J Fick, J Holmes, T Hutchinson, F Karcher, Sl Kelleher, P Marsden, G Noone, Ma Nunn, J Oxford, T Rachwal, N Roberts, M Roberts, Ml Saccà, M Sanders, Jo Straub, A Terry, D Thomas, S Toovey, R Townsend, N Voulvoulis, C Watts

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Dissolution Of Aerosol Iron In Sea Water Using Flow-Injection With Chemiluminescence Detection, Marie Josiane Mireille Seguret Jan 2008

Dissolution Of Aerosol Iron In Sea Water Using Flow-Injection With Chemiluminescence Detection, Marie Josiane Mireille Seguret

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Iron is an essential micronutrient for the metabolism of marine organisms and impacts on primary productivity and hence indirectly on climate change. The dominant source of iron to the sea surface in open ocean regions is from the atmosphere by aeolian dust transport but the solubility of iron from dust is poorly constrained. In this thesis, chemical and physical factors impacting on the process of dust dissolution and iron release in seawater were investigated using FI-CL detection. A manual FI manifold was automated and optimised for the determination of iron, at nanomolar concentrations, released from aerosols in seawater. The limit …

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A Study Of Dense Water Formation Over Rockall Bank, Clare Katherine O'Neill Jan 2008

A Study Of Dense Water Formation Over Rockall Bank, Clare Katherine O'Neill

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Rockall Bank is a large undersea bank situated in the north-east Atlantic. The region features steep bathymetry with the depth of Rockall Trough reaching 3000 m, rising to the surface at Rockall rock itself. Winter convective mixing in this area is strong and can reach 600 m or more. As this is deeper than a significant proportion of the bank, the water column above the bank becomes cooler than in the surrounding area, and a "cold water patch" forms. This water has been observed moving off the slope as a dense water cascade, a process that is important for shelf-ocean …

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Stroke And Its Dispositional Risk Factors: A Cross-Cultural Study Between British And Chinese, Xu Wang Jan 2008

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Stroke And Its Dispositional Risk Factors: A Cross-Cultural Study Between British And Chinese, Xu Wang

Other Faculty of Health Theses

Objectives: This thesis aimed to: 1) explore the subjective experiences of British and Chinese stroke patients, 2) investigate the trajectory of post-stroke PTSD and its relationship between alexithymia, health locus of control, and psychiatric co-morbidity, and 3) compare the differences between the British and Chinese samples in post-stroke PTSD, psychiatric co-morbidity and risk factors. Methods: Four focus group discussions in Britain and China were conducted for study 1. Study 2 was a prospective longitudinal design in which 90 British patients were recruited and assessed approximately 1.5 and 4 months after stroke using a battery of instruments. Study 3 was a …

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Ruling Out The 'Bad Things:' How Physicians Make Meaning Of Persistent Unexplained Illness In Children, Stefanie Varga Jan 2008

Ruling Out The 'Bad Things:' How Physicians Make Meaning Of Persistent Unexplained Illness In Children, Stefanie Varga

Other Faculty of Health Theses

This was a study of physicians' narratives regarding their medical experiences with children with persistent medically unexplained physical illness. The goal was to better understand those attitudes and beliefs that are involved in the construction of meaning regarding the child's symptoms of illness or pain. The study also sought to learn more about physicians' early life experiences with health and illness and their potential to shape diagnostic thinking and treatment. Ten physician participants were interviewed using an open-ended, semistructured interview methodology. Interviews were analyzed using an alternative narrative approach described by Mishler (1986, 1991) to identify key themes within and …

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Locomotor Patterns And Persistent Activity In Self-Organizing Neural Models, Thomas Henry Cooke Jan 2008

Locomotor Patterns And Persistent Activity In Self-Organizing Neural Models, Thomas Henry Cooke

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The thesis investigates principles of self-organization that may account for the observed structure and behaviour of neural networks that generate locomotor behaviour and complex spatiotemporal patterns such as spiral waves, metastable states and persistent activity. This relates to the general neuroscience problem of finding the correspondence between the structure of neural networks and their function. This question is both extremely important and difficult to answer because the structure of a neural network defines a specific type of neural dynamics which underpins some function of the neural system and also influences the structure and parameters of the network including connection strengths. …

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Astral Projection: Theories Of Metaphor, Philosophies Of Science, And The Art Of Scientific Visualization, Donna J . Cox Jan 2008

Astral Projection: Theories Of Metaphor, Philosophies Of Science, And The Art Of Scientific Visualization, Donna J . Cox

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

This thesis provides an intellectual context for my work in computational scientific visualization for large-scale public outreach in venues such as digitaldome planetarium shows and high-definition public television documentaries. In my associated practicum, a DVD that provides video excerpts, 1 focus especially on work I have created with my Advanced Visualization Laboratory team at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (Champaign, Illinois) from 2002-2007. 1 make three main contributions to knowledge within the field of computational scientific visualization. Firstly, I share the unique process 1 have pioneered for collaboratively producing and exhibiting this data-driven art when aimed at popular science …

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Biodiversity And Ecosystem Processes In The Strandline: The Role Of Species Identity, Diversity, Interactions And Body Size, Sally Jane Marsh Jan 2008

Biodiversity And Ecosystem Processes In The Strandline: The Role Of Species Identity, Diversity, Interactions And Body Size, Sally Jane Marsh

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

In the current climate of biodiversity loss how species diversity and ecosystem process are linked is, arguably, one of the most pressing issues and greatest challenges currently facing the scientific community. Previous studies suggest that there is no universal trajectory for the relationship between diversity and ecosystem processes, the pattern depends largely on species identity and their interactions. Furthermore, the effect of reduced diversity on ecosystem process in multi-trophic assemblages is both understudied and poorly understood. Consequently, the overall aim of the present study was to investigate the role of species identity, diversity and interactions in determining ecosystem processes using …

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Mathematical Modelling Of Hepatopancreatic Digestive Cell Of The Blue Mussel, Allan Mcveigh Jan 2008

Mathematical Modelling Of Hepatopancreatic Digestive Cell Of The Blue Mussel, Allan Mcveigh

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The lysosomal system of the hepatopancreatic digestive cell of the mussel (Mytilus sp.) is critical in intracellular food degradation, toxic responses and internal cellular turnover. Mathematical and numerical models are developed to simulate the responses of this system to varying conditions, dietary and toxicological. The model evolution encompasses: inclusion of glycogen/lipid storage forms; extrapolation to include nitrogen metabolism; development of rate of endocytosis and food signal; increased functionality of endo/lysosomes; shift to protein/carbohydrate/lipid based model; and the incorporation of the cost of normal Sanction and replacement of damaged components. Control is asserted through control of cytosolic concentrations: the intial assumption …

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Predation By Crabs On Rocky Shores In North-East Atlantic, Ana Catarina Ferreira Da Silva Jan 2008

Predation By Crabs On Rocky Shores In North-East Atlantic, Ana Catarina Ferreira Da Silva

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Highly mobile predators are known to have an important influence on shallow-water habitats. There is, however, little information about the role of crabs on the ecology of rocky shores. Here I examine the extent and consequences of predation by crabs on shores in the North-East Atlantic. The specific aims of this thesis are to: investigate spatial variation in use of the intertidal by crabs along a horizontal gradient of exposure to wave action and a vertical gradient of tidal elevation; assess their use of the intertidal as a feeding area by examining stomach content composition; examine the extent of connectivity …

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Victims And Villains: Subject Positioning In Discursive Reconstructions Of Sexual Harassment, Sarah Jane Clarke Jan 2008

Victims And Villains: Subject Positioning In Discursive Reconstructions Of Sexual Harassment, Sarah Jane Clarke

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

This thesis is a feminist informed, discursive research project. Three studies are presented, each designed to explore reconstructions of sexual harassment incidents. The first and second studies were based upon a corpus of interview data, generated specifically for the research project. The author interviewed six women and encouraged detailed discussion about sexual harassment. The third study was conducted utilising media data. The data includes an initial allegation and description of an incident of sexual harassment, in the form of a magazine article, and a collection of published responses written by journalists, academics and members of the public. The data were …

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Computational And Psycho-Physiological Investigations Of Musical Emotions, Eduardo Coutinho Jan 2008

Computational And Psycho-Physiological Investigations Of Musical Emotions, Eduardo Coutinho

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The ability of music to stir human emotions is a well known fact (Gabrielsson & Lindstrom. 2001). However, the manner in which music contributes to those experiences remains obscured. One of the main reasons is the large number of syndromes that characterise emotional experiences. Another is their subjective nature: musical emotions can be affected by memories, individual preferences and attitudes, among other factors (Scherer & Zentner, 2001). But can the same music induce similar affective experiences in all listeners, somehow independently of acculturation or personal bias? A considerable corpus of literature has consistently reported that listeners agree rather strongly about …

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Biomediation Of Turbulence And Suspended Sediment Characteristics In Marsh Surface Flows - The Influence Of Spartina Anglica, George W. Graham Jan 2008

Biomediation Of Turbulence And Suspended Sediment Characteristics In Marsh Surface Flows - The Influence Of Spartina Anglica, George W. Graham

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Laboratory experimentation in a large aimular flume (radius 3 m, channel width and water depth 0.4 m) has been conducted using a geometrically and dynamically similar Spariina anglica mimic (canopy height 0.21 m, stem density 1000 stems m~^) to investigate the influence of submerged Spartina on hydrodynamics under unidirectional currents {Uh = 0.2 m s~*) and the impact upon the dynamics of suspended cohesive sediments near the bed within the canopy. The vertical distribution of canopy biomass strongly influences vertical profiles of time-averaged velocity and turbulent quantities. An inflected velocity profile is observed in the region 0.79 < z/h < 0.9 which generates shear, T K E and Reynolds Stress peaks within vicinity of the canopy top. In this region T K E peaks at 15 times the levels observed in un-vegetated experiments. Flows at the canopy top are strongly intermittent with extremely efficient downward momentum transfer, uf] and ufz (stream-wise and vertical zero-mean fluctuating velocity) skewness are 0.5 and -0.5 indicating the presence of intermittent downward penetrating gusts. Near the bed (0 < z/h < 0.3) mean flow velocities are reduced by 88 - 90% in comparison to un-vegetated flows but turbulence intensities are strongly augmented by wake shedding from vegetative elements. TKE in this region is approximately equal to that in un-vegetated flows. Novel field observations in a low energ>', estuarine fringing …

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Relative Quantitation Of Peptides By Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, Pritesh Patel Jan 2008

Relative Quantitation Of Peptides By Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, Pritesh Patel

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Currently, the detection/quantitation of biomolecules using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICR-MS) is focused on heteroatom containing (e.g. S. P, Se, Cu) compounds. This limits the scope of ICP-MS as a routine analytical tool in the bioanalytical sciences. To increase this scope novel strategies to incorporate elemental labels have been developed. Chemical derivatisation is one such strategy. Cyclic diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid anhydride (cDTPA), a bifunctional chelating agent (BFCA), is reacted with N-terminal amines and is subsequently chelated with trivalent metals. This allows the detection of peptides that contained no heteroatom using liquid chromatography (LC)-ICP-MS. The derivatisation efficiency, optimised using LC-UV/vis detection, …

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